Course summary

The BA Philosophy with Languages and Cultures (Italian) is an engaging and challenging programme which nurtures a range of specific skills that have wide applicability and open up exciting opportunities. In Philosophy, you will investigate deep and fascinating questions about reality, thought, language and value and try to find answers, working imaginatively to identify potential solutions and applying systematic logical argument in evaluating alternative possibilities. In Italian you will get to grips with the history, politics, and culture of the Italian-speaking world, working in your chosen language to build powerful and flexible plurilingual communication skills grounded in a rich understanding of intercultural norms and practices. The two disciplines complement one another and cross-fertilize in interesting and useful ways. Philosophy increases your sensitivity to fine-grained differences of meaning and equips you to think your way carefully into whole systems of thought. Study of Italian language and culture broadens your outlook and enhances your awareness of the background to ideas. In addition, investigations into the workings of language through study in linguistics will bring further depth to your understanding and give you sophisticated insight into meaning, reasoning and arguments. Completing the programme successfully will equip you with a powerful range of skills: you will be able to think in a systematic way about new problems—generating solutions, evaluating ideas, and arriving at clear judgements backed by sharp logical arguments—and with cultural awareness and facility in your chosen language that will enable you to thrive as an effective communicator in international and multilingual professional environments. This skill set will open up opportunities in a wide range of careers, including language teaching, the law, translation services, finance, business, government, the public sector, charities, broadcasting and journalism.